Kazakhstan aims to increase foreign student numbers to 100,000
Kazakhstan has established partnerships with the world’s 40 top universities as well as opened 33 Foreign university branch campuses. This has been stated by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at II International Forum of Strategic Partners titled “Kazakhstan is a territory of academic knowledge” held in the Kazakh capital, Akorda reports.
The Kazakh leader believes that the high demographic potential of the Central Asian nations and a number of countries bordering the region creates significant opportunities for Kazakhstan to promote the export of higher education and attract foreign students.
Tokayev said that Kazakhstan set a challenging but extremely important task to become an integral part of the global knowledge market. To this end, partnerships have been established with 40 leading universities around the world, and 33 branch campuses of foreign universities have been opened. It is important that many of these branches offer instruction in English, Russian, and Chinese. Multilingualism in education has always been - and will remain - the key to openness and competitiveness, both for individuals and institutions, as well as for entire nations… So, we are consciously taking this important step toward integration into the global academic space. At the same time, all university branches have introduced mandatory courses in the Kazakh language and the history of Kazakhstan, which are invaluable for helping foreign students gain a deeper understanding of our culture and national mindset, said the Kazakh President.
The Kazakh leader pointed out that up to 31,000 foreign students, currently, attend Kazakhstani universities, which is a record figure for the country.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev revealed plans to increase this figure to up to 100,000 before 2029, by simplifying the visa regime and creating the most comfortable conditions for foreign students in Kazakhstan.
It was also announced that Kazakhstan is to launch an employment program to retain top graduates.
The opening of foreign university branch campuses fully aligns with our goal of developing engineering and IT education. In Kazakhstan, three Luban Workshops are already operating, which have become unique educational institutions of applied engineering… Special importance is given to the training of personnel for the nuclear energy sector, said the Kazakh President.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev added that the goal is to ensure a direct connection between education, science, and the real sector of the economy.
Earlier today, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that Kazakhstan launched a pilot project to introduce ChatGPT-powered educational tools.
